Stoney Creek Midnight Gunbattle: Two Teenagers Killed as Retaliatory Ambush Involving Six Shooters Erupts Outside Candlewood Drive Home
STONEY CREEK — A violent escalation involving rival youth cells along the eastern perimeter of the Greater Toronto Area has left two teenagers dead following a high-volume exchange of gunfire outside a residential townhouse complex.
The double homicide, unsealed by the Hamilton Police Service Major Crime Unit, erupted in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Homicide detectives confirmed that a group of at least six individuals descended upon a residence in Stoney Creek, triggering a chaotic gunbattle that police believe was a direct retaliatory strike for an earlier conflict.
Retaliatory Escalation on Candlewood Drive
Emergency dispatch operators received multiple frantic 911 reports shortly after 2:25 a.m. on Wednesday detailing heavy gunfire near 191 Candlewood Drive, located near Rymal Road East and Upper Centennial Parkway. First responders arriving on scene discovered two male victims lying outside the home suffering from critical gunshot wounds.
Both victims—identified by police as 18-year-old **Abdulmalek Shibli** and 16-year-old **Afef Binafif**, both of Hamilton—were rushed to a regional trauma centre, where both succumbed to their injuries.
Homicide Dossier & Incident Metrics
- **Victim 1:** Abdulmalek Shibli, 18, of Hamilton.
- **Victim 2:** Afef Binafif, 16, of Hamilton.
- **Incident Coordinates:** 191 Candlewood Drive, Stoney Creek (Hamilton East End).
- **Motive:** Retaliatory strike linked to a midnight bear-spray attack on Centennial Parkway North.
Tactical Case Log
Bear-Spray Incident Escalates to Lethal Firearm Deployment
According to Lead Investigator Det.-Sgt. Mike Ebert, police believe the gunfire was sparked by an altercation around midnight near Barton Street East and Centennial Parkway North, where a group deployed bear spray against rivals. Two hours later, a armed squad retaliated at the Candlewood Drive location. Forensic teams extracted multiple ballistic casings indicating more than one firearm was deployed during the shootout.
Primary Wire Sources
- Hamilton Police Service Official Media Release (Published July 29, 2026).
- CP24 Local Crime Beat: “Two teens killed following exchange of gunfire in Hamilton” (Published July 29, 2026).
- CBC News Hamilton: “Hamilton police identify 2 teens killed in Stoney Creek shooting” (Published July 29, 2026).